Exhibition game-board.



' No. 687,482. Patented 'Nov126, I90L M. L. POWELL.

EXHIBITION GAME BOARD.

(Application filed Mar. 28, 1898.)

2 SheeIsSheet I.

(No Model.)

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Patented Nov. 26, 1am.

M. L. POWELL. EXHIBITION GAME BOARD.

(Application filed Mar. 28, 1898.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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MwrZ mL.PaweZ@ 97 NITED STATES MARTIN L. POWELL, OF NEWCASTLE, INDIANA.

EXHIBITION GAME-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,487, dated November 26, 1901.

Serial No. 675,493. No model.)

To ZLZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTINL. POWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newcastle, in the county of Henry and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Exhibition Game-Boards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to boards for playing games in which a number of movable men or pieces are changed from one square or other designated part of the board to another; and the object of the invention is. to provide a board in which the parts representing the men or pieces will be on the under or back side of the board and will show through openings or transparent portions, whereby they will be plainly visible from in front of the board, but will not appear upon or in any way obstruct the surface adjacent to the spectator.

This board is intended, primarily, for exhibition purposesto be placed in avertical position to enable a room full of people to follow every move of the game, although it may be placed in a horizontal position, if desired; and the further object of this invention is to provide means whereby the movement of the men or pieces can be indicated by mechanism which is located on the back or under side of the board out of the sight of the spectators in front.

I accomplish the objects of the invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a cabinet equipped with my vertical checker-board, a portion of the front of the board being broken away to show the inside mechanism and a middle section of the cabinet being removed to bring the drawing within the limits of the page. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the dotted line 2 2 of' Fig. 1, and Fig 3 is a detail in perspective of the pentagonal drum containing the characters to represent the checkers and the mechanism for rotating the drum and for looking it in any required position.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, A represents the horizontal or body portion of the cabinet for containing my invention. It will be supported on any suitable legs (not shown) and will preferably be down under the exhibition platform or stage, where it will be out of the sight of the spectators. It will be provided with the keys B, by which the checkers will be actuated in the manner which will be hereinafter fully described.

A is a box-like extension from the rear of the horizontal body A and is provided with an opening in its front, within which the checker-board O is framed. The vertical extension of the part A above the body A is suflicient to bring the checker-board into plain View well above the head of the operator at the keyboard below. The checkerboard shown in the drawings is made out of sheet-iron, which is laid off into black and white squares in the usual manner for chess and checkers. The squares where the men or pieces are displayed are numbered from l to 32, inclusive, and each one of these squares is cut out in the metal to provide openings of thesame shape as the square laid off on the board, but smaller, whereby a black outline or border will be preserved, as shown at c. To the rear of each row of squares is a horizontal shaft D, there being eight shafts in all, the ends of which are supported from the sides of the case or box A. The axes of the shafts cross the centers of the squares in front of them, and mounted on the shafts opposite each opening in the checker-board is a pentagonal drum E, the sides of which when in a vertical plane register with and fill out the openings through the checker-board squares above mentioned. One of the sides of the pentagonal drum will have a character painted or otherwise affixed to it representing a black checker piece or man. The next side will have a character representing the black B represents keys or levers, .which are pivotallysecured at their inner ends to the back wall of the cabinet A and the outer ends of which project out into a position, as shown in the drawings, in which they will be readily accessible to the operator.

I is a cord which is fastened to the key and passes thence up and over the drum-sleeve F and has its opposite upper end fastened to the spring J. Each cord operates a separate shaft and each shaft carries a plurality of drums. The spring J is fastened to the wall of the cabinet. When the keyB is depressed by the operator, the cord passingaround the sleeve will be drawn down and cause the drum to rotate. .The spring J will draw the cord and key back into previous position, While a return movement of the sleeve and drum will be prevented by a spring catch or pawl K, which is .seated in the back wall of the cabinet and bears with its outer end against the ratchet-wheel G and by engaging the ratchets thereon holds the drum against the return action of the cord. The face of the checker-board will be in plain view of the operator, who can see when the desired character is brought opposite the opening, and should the desired character not appear at the first movement of the key the latter will be actuated until the desired character is shown. In practice the operator will reproduce on the board the various plays which have been made by expert players, a record of which will be before him to guide him in indicating the various moves on the exhibition-board.

I do not desire to limit this invention to the use of a drum for bringing the characters into View by the rotation of said drum, as the same might be done by sliding a strip bearing the characters past the openings a d by other means, and for actuating t .e' drum mechanism other means may be employed without departing from the spirit of this invention. It is also obvious that instead of using sheet metal for the face of the board with openings cut through the metal a transparent material, like glass, could be used, in which all of the surface would be opaqued except the squares for the display of the pieces or checkers, which would be left transparent, and it is not desired to limit this invention to the use of an opaque material with openings cut out of that material.

The board can be placed in a horizontal position and a double set of keys, one for each side, used, whereby the movements can be made by two players and an original game played the same as though movable pieces were employed in the usual way.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new,and wish'to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. The combination,with a board having an opaque body and cut-away or transparent places, of drums revolubly mounted opposite said cut-away or transparent, places said drums having characters thereon which are visible through said openings, a sleeve connected with the drum, a cord passing over the sleeve, a spring to which one end of the cord is fastened and a key to which the other end of the cord is fastened and a ratchet-wheel and a pawl to hold the adjustment of the drum, all substantially as described and specified.

2. A game apparatus of the kind usually played with movable characters upon a board marked off into squares or spaces, comprising a board and a series of rollers in fixed relation thereto, the number and location of the rollers corresponding to the number and location of spaces, and each roller having one or more characters thereon representing the men-or figures with which the game is played.

3. A game apparatus of the kind usually played with movable characters upon a board marked off into squares or spaces comprising a board and a series of rollers in fixed relation thereto, the number and location of the rollers corresponding to the number and location of spaces, and each roller having a portion of its surface blank, and one or more characters arranged upon the remaining portion, said characters representing the men or figures with which the game is played.

4:. In a game apparatus of the kind usually played with movable characters upon a board marked off into squares or spaces, the combination with a board and a series of rollers in fixed relation thereto, the number and location of the rollers corresponding to the number and location of spaces into which the characters are usually movable and each roller having one or more characters thereon representing the men or figures with which the game is played, of means for locking said rollers against rotation.

5. A game apparatus'of the kind usually played With movable characters upon a checkered surface, comprising a board marked off into the requisite number of spaces for playing the game and a rotative device arranged within each space, in fixed relation to the board, each device having one or more characters thereon representing the men or figures with which the game is played.

6. A game apparatus comprising a board marked off into suitable spaces, and having an opening within each space, a roller arranged within each opening and projecting partly above the surface of the board, each roller having one or more characters thereon representing the men or figures with which the game is played.

7. A game apparatus comprising a board marked off into suitable spaces and having an opening within each space, a roller arranged within each opening and projecting partly above the surface of the board, each roller having a portion of its surface blank, and one or more characters arranged upon IIO the remaining portion, said characters representing the men or figures with which the game is played.

8. A game apparatus consisting of a casing having its upper side marked ofi into suitable squares or spaces, openings within said spaces, rollers journaled horizontally within the casing and projecting through the openings, and one or more characters upon each roller.

9. A game apparatus consisting of a casing having its upper side marked oif into suitable squares or spaces, openings within said spaces, rollers journaled horizontally within the casing and projecting through the openings, each roller having one or more characters thereon, and means for locking said rollers against rotation.

10. A game apparatus of the kind usually played with movable characters upon a board marked off into squares or spaces comprising a board having openings therein corresponding in number and location to the spaces into whichthe characters are usually movable,and a rotative device arranged within each space, each rotative device having one portion of its surface blank and one or more characters representing the men with which the game is played upon the remaining portion, whereby said blank portion or said characters may be brought separately to view within the openings, the remaining portions of the device be ing hidden from View.

11. A game apparatus of the kind usually played with movable characters upon a board marked off into squares or spaces comprising a board and a series of rotative devices in fixed relation thereto, the number and location of said devices corresponding to the number and location of spaces Within which the characters are usually movable, and each device having one or more characters thereon representing the men or figures with which the game is played.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 19th day of March, A. D. 1898.

MARTIN L. POWELL. [n s] Witnesses:

JOSEPH A. MINTURN, CARL SCHLEGEL. 

